A Shogun's honor
by Shiguya Retomasi
Summary: Beyond the rigid formalities of dueling, love can blossom... a beauty hidden behind armor and blades, yet still delicate in its own ways... Just a little something I did for a friend. It's based on characters from Tales of Flame, which is by Buwaro. Enjoy


Disclaimer: all characters, places, and recognized names are copy write their respective owners. Scyther and Lucrecia are copyright Buwaro and Tales of Flame, I was just given carte blanch to work with them; don't come after me. Anything else is mine, so please don't be a thief; Shadowbane doesn't appreciate it.

**A Shogun's Honor**

The pale light from a crescent moon illuminated what could be called a scene of battle, at first glance. A pair of emerald green blurs raced back and fourth across a small clearing, only the clash of blade against blade and the occasional glimpse of a limb coming to rest for a moment was distinguishable.

The clash of metal blade against metal blade rang out in the still air, much like the feudal weapons from the times of old. Their movement left the grass swaying with each calculated strike, creating a maze of crushed and twisted leaves in their wake.

The entire scene was like a deadly ballet, blow and counterblow executed with precision that even the most skilled human could only dream of matching. Within this lethal dance, the most trained of eyes might have caught a glimpse of black; the obsidian pools alight with an almost…joyful glint. Like whomever the owner was found being locked in battle to be fun.

With one final blurred movement and a crack that sounded a lot like hardened armor against wood, one of the blurs stopped; revealing the panting form of a large mantis like creature. The body structure was humanoid, but that is where the similarities ended. The creature in question was covered in a dark green, chininous armor; effectively creating a body protection akin to the armor worn long ago, when the blade was justice and the hand behind it judge jury and executioner. A pair of translucent yellow wings poked around his sides, moving slowly to create a cooling breeze. Where there normally would be lower arms and paws, there was instead a long blade attached to each joint; one edge protected by a rounded covering while the other was a sharpened edge, flashing slightly with each slow movement. The creatures head was slightly misshapen, as if a sculptor had taken creative liberties with a humanoid skull; a pair of obsidian eyes peered out from their sunken sockets, watching the other mantis approach with purposeful step.

"You've gotten faster…" The creature was panting heavily, leaning his body weight on one knee joint, using the blade of his opposite arm for balance. "Scyther is surprised he could keep up for so long." Scyther bowed his head to the mantis opposite him, casting his gaze upon the ground in honor of his defeat.

"You were just a bit distracted Scy, that's all. If that had been a real duel it may not have ended the same." The second mantis had a slightly softer voice, more attuned to that of a female. Scyther kept his eyes downcast, remaining in the same position and working on catching his breath. "You always were the better between us when you put that hard head of yours into it." She laughed softly at her own joke, leaning down and placing herself level with the other mantis; using the flat of her blade to force his head up. "Besides, I know you think being honorable will make the irritation of losing go away."

The one known as Scyther cracked a small smile, staring at the other mantis with a warm look in his dark green eyes.

"And I know that you find it amusing to point out my faults." The pone mantis leaned forward slightly, using his lowered blade as a brace to stand up with. "But, one should be graceful both in victory and defeat, right Lucrecia?" Scyther moved back a step, pressing his left blade flat against his chest, blade side down and giving Lucrecia a small bow. In return, she mimicked the motion; using her right blade instead.

"Formality before fun; you never change, do you?" Both returned to a standing position, lowering their blades to a resting position. Scyther took a moment to fold his wings back into their protective covering, having gotten his body temperature back to a comfortable level.

Even as the two warriors stood stock still, the love that both shared was evident if you knew where to look. Only the distant cry of a Murkrow on the prowl broke the silence of that moment, shattering the still night air with a shrill screech.

A lone Persian waited in silence, watching the dark feathered bird flutter to the ground, oblivious to the danger lurking in the shadows… closer the cat crept, ignoring everything but the potential meal just a few feet ahead of it, eyes fixed upon its prize… POUNCE! The feline leapt, unknowingly bringing the stoic insects to life; two streaks of green flashed across the trampled grass, once again moving with speed that the naked eye could not follow.

The clash of blade against blade once again rang out, mixing with the strangled cry of the surprised Murkrow… and then, everything was quiet again.

At the clearing once again settled into peace, the two mantises came to rest once again; both still poised in an attack position: backs to each other. A thin trickle of blood ran down the smaller of the pair's cheek, staining the emerald armor with a crimson line. Both turned once again, wings still extended from the final strike; a sheepish grin creeping slowly across the defeated mantis' face.

"As I said before, you are the better between us." She bowed slowly, dropping both blades to her side; ignoring the cut upon her cheek. Scyther simply flashed a small smile of his own, dropping his own guard and bowing to her in return.

"You still leave your guard open just before striking, though it is getting harder to exploit." He began beating his wings slowly, stretching out the joints before retracting them once again. "I'm sure our next duel will be a much closer one." Both insects relaxed visibly, letting their bodies finally limber up from the ridged stance of battle, to something more like good friends enjoying a bit of time together. The thought of battle behind them, the two insects moved at a slow pace toward each other, Lucrecia still paying no attention to her wound.

"I'm sure that if such a time comes, you will still have my back just in case." Scyther leaned down a bit, licking away the blood and leaving a protective coating of saliva over the wound.

"As I am sure you would have mine." Scyther looked upon the insect in front of him, locking his own dark green eyes with the obsidian ones of his wife; their unblinking gazes shutting out everything but the love they felt for each other.

A quiet breeze started up, swirling the grass and sending the faint scent of Cheri blossoms across the still clearing. The seconds crawled by, the two mantises were oblivious to even time itself, locked in the soft embrace of each others presence.

But, like all things their moment of silence had to end… though, it could have been something a bit nicer than Scyther having to sneeze from the pollen. Lucrecia managed to keep a straight face, even as Scyther struggled to keep his composure, failing with another subdued sneeze.

"May I suggest we go somewhere with a quieter atmosphere?" Scyther just nodded quickly, turning his head to the right and letting out the loudest sneeze yet, the force of it adding a small cloud of spittle into the pollen.

The smaller insect lost her compose finally, letting a deep felt mirth at the rather embarrassing problem her husband was experiencing; a quiet laugh soon turning into almost musical laughter, the sound drifting along the breeze like notes from a wind chime. Scyther just shot her an annoyed look, sniffling hard and going cross-eyed at the effort of getting his problem under control.

"Yes, it would be quite embarrassing to stay here; I think the free show should end quietly." He smirked at his own comment, body rocking with the subdued force of a fourth sneeze.

"Then please, do lead the way." Lucrecia bowed slightly, placing the flat of her right blade against her chest; swinging the left one slowly outward, a gesture Scyther accepted and returned with a nod; snapping his wings out of their protective armor and flexing them slowly.

The night was still young, and with the breezes at a minimum flying to their next destination would take far less time… and be a bit more romantic in the long run; a fact that did not escape either of them. Lucrecia watched with interest as Scyther stretched out the muscles of his wings; twisting the joints in all directions, the moonlight reflecting off the translucent surfaces dully.

After a moment to force down her absentmindedness, Lucrecia followed suit; working her own wings faster to keep up. Silence once again settled on the clearing, only the occasional sneeze or loud sniffle broke the peace.

An odd buzzing broke the stillness as Scyther took to the air, followed closely by Lucrecia; both insects defying most logic, as they darted and weaved through the dim light like fish swimming in a stream. Their dark green armor served as an effective camouflage against anyone who might be taking a quiet stroll through the outskirts of Celadon, though it was unlikely that many would be.

The two mantises kept silent, instinctually going into a hunter mode; the silence only being broken by the infrequent sneeze from Scyther, or a quiet laugh from Lucrecia at his plight. There was just something about her usually calm mate being felled by a simple allergy attack that she couldn't help but find amusing. Even the simplest things, such as a moment of humor at her husband's expense might look like something that would drive them apart, but things between the two insects were rarely easy to understand; 'call it being relaxed around each other' , as Scyther would say.

The silvery rays of moonlight were more than enough to navigate by, making the short journey about as difficult as a human walking to the store on a clear day; even though most would find flying in such dim conditions dangerous. Such was the advantage to being a predatory species, though the pair would have done it anyway if truth is to be told.

A quiet night spent alone on the wing with only the moon and stars bearing witness to the love shared by them… such is a thing of rare beauty in this world. The cool night air whipped against their sleek armor, changing their flight with graceful shifts in wing beat and body position, a grace born from years of practice keeping the two mantises aloft. With the strong breeze brought relief from the cheri pollen, giving Scyther some time to recover from his allergies.

Once their destination came into view, the pair began a lazy descent back to the ground, as if unwilling to give up their moment of peace so soon. But, everything in life has a beginning and an end, so reluctantly both Scyther and Lucrecia made one pass along the edge of the pond before landing with long strides; using the stretch of moist sand as a landing strip. Their graceful stop left twin sets of tracks in the ground, the trail fading as their speed dropped; returning to the normally trackless movement both had mastered long ago.

"There's nothing quite like a good bit of exercise to help you unwind." Scyther kept his wings extended for a moment, stretching the joints lightly before retracting them once again; Lucrecia simply turned to the side and stared out over the water's edge, sighing softly to herself.

Her wings were still extended, swaying in a soft breeze; something she did only when lost in thought. "Is something bothering you?" Lucrecia didn't answer for a few moments, first sighing again and finally retracting her wings.

"I shouldn't have dropped my guard like that. We've been over that several times and I still make the same mistake." She turned slowly, a flicker of anger passing across the normally calm obsidian pools. "Mistakes like that will cost myself, and you, in the end."

"Lucrecia, the only reason you keep dropping your guard is because your fear of hurting me takes over; it isn't a problem of skill, it's a problem of letting your emotions rule you." Lucrecia shook her head, preparing an argument when Scyther brought his left blade to bear; aiming a blow directly at her head. She deftly blocked the strike, the crash of blade against blade once again ringing out in the quiet air.

"What was that for!?" She glared at her husband, straining against his blade. Scyther kept his face expressionless, pulling his own blade back from hers.

"To prove a point. When we are dueling your emotions take over, clouding your mind and slowing your reactions. But when you are faced with a truly dangerous situation, even the closest of allies become enemies. It is not skill you lack." Lucrecia kept her gaze hardened, watching for any sign of a second attack. Scyther's eyes stayed emotionless, serving as mirrors against Lucrecia's stare; her own anger reflected in the deep green spheres.

"If you didn't have a valid point I would have to kill you for trying that stunt. You know that, right?" The anger was still in her eyes, but it faded away slowly; replaced once again by that same silent love she held for the mantis in front of her. "But… that's always been the case, you're too tactless to use anything but brute force to reveal what lies beneath." She smiled faintly, lowering her own guard.

"Somehow I feel you wouldn't have it any other way." Scyther turned his head a bit, looking over the glassy surface of the lake. "Just like back in our old clan, you used to sit with me by the lake for hours. I really didn't think about it much, just having the company of another who felt the same about Celes was the only thing I cared about then." He turned to the side, walking over to the water's edge and scared across the lake.

"I only did it at first to get away from Celes; you were the only one he couldn't simply win over or intimidate." Lucrecia moved to stand by Scyther's side, matching his rigid stance. "Funny how being near someone just to avoid another could turn out like this, isn't it?" Scyther turned slowly, chuckling softly.

"If you mean being with me to avoid the rather rude comments he directed toward you, then there is no surprise in my mind. Anyone who would make use of his or her status in such a vulgar way is best avoided. Though why you would look toward someone like me didn't make much sense."

"You were different than everyone else in the clan; even my own mother saw me as just a prize. She only wanted me to marry Celes as a way to move into the leader's good graces. I was nothing to them, only a bargaining chip to be used." Scyther chucked quietly at that last part, leaning down and running his left blade through the water, letting the cold liquid run across its polished surface.

"I wasn't much better back then; just some rebel kit who didn't know his place. 'Just another upstart who needs to learn some manners' if memory serves me right." He repeated the process with his right, swirling the water over the entire blade. "In some ways I feel like the choice to leave was the wrong one; the elder's views will never change until someone is willing to stand up and show them the errors in their ways."

"Maybe it was the mutual desire to be something more than just pawns for the elder's to move within our clan that we first found in each other? You were the only one willing to stand against Celes and his misuse of status, and I wanted to be treated as something more than just a trophy to be shown off. We were probably the only ones within the clan who would dare think different than the elders. Funny how such a grim thing in common could spark something so warm." Lucrecia knelt down just as Scyther had, dipping both her blades into the water and moving them in a circular motion, sending small ripples outward across the surface.

"I believe it was more than just a need to be different, you were the only one who would try and see past the arrogance I had back then."

"No, it was more of the way you chose to simply isolate yourself from the problem, raither than try to settle things in a duel; you were mature for your age, if not a overly stubborn about it." Lucrecia stood up, shaking her blades off gently and looking up at the sky. "A crescent moon, just like the night you finally stopped being so stoic around me. Fitting, isn't it?"

"Very much so. The night we choose to train without holding back my strength being the very same as when I stopped holding back my emotions; two events that test the very limits of one's own inner, and outer strength." Scyther stood proud, holding his bladed arms at his sides much like a warrior would, keeping his gaze neutral. Lucrecia gave him a pointed look, a faint smirk brightening her features.

"So, mumbling like a Glameow had your tongue before tripping over a half buried root is a show of inner strength?" Scyther gave her a sour look, to which she only laughed. "Scy, you weren't the most collected of the clan back then."

"It was the thought of someone so beautiful bothering with a rebel like me that froze my tongue." Scyther turned away again, watching the moon's reflection sway and ripple on the lake. "The daughter of the clan's healer, someone easily within reach of any male she could have desired. A rare bloom among the wildflowers, someone that could be seen yet never touched. A delicate beauty among the ordinary… yet, one that chose what most would have called a weed over all the other more suitable blooms." Scyther sighed; keeping his gaze upon the moon's reflection, only the subtle rise and fall of his chest showed he was even still alive.

"Sometimes the value of a bloom lies beneath the surface. Take Jushang for example: when most look at it they only see the dirty coloration and unattractive look to its leaves and flower. But to a healer, this plant is invaluable as a pain reliever; strong enough to keep the body numb while resetting bones and forcing fractured armor plates back into place." Both mantises winced visibly at the memories that brought up.

"You were the only one willing to look, for which I am grateful. This life is far too short to spend it in isolation. Besides, it takes two to duel."

"And to do other things…" Lucrecia gave her husband a sideways glance before returning her gaze to the far shore. "Feeling up to a little more training?"

"Only if you can keep up with me…" Both mantises snapped their winds out, flexing them in anticipation, their senses honed for the slightest change in the others stance…when with a quiet laugh Lucrecia short forward like a green missile, using both her speed and wings to run across the surface of the water; followed closely by her husband. The twin blurs streaked across the calm surface as if it was solid ground, their laughter heard only by the stars above.

Fin


End file.
